Bloggers and hackers aren't the only ones sticking it to iPhone maker Apple Inc. for its closed minded approach to user-customization of the touch-screen handsets -- Nokia has taken advantage of the situation by launching a print and web campaign dubbed "Open to anything."

"We believe the best devices have no limits. That's why we've left the Nokia Nseries open," the Finland-based handset maker wrote on its new "Open to anything" website. "Open to applications. Open to widgets. Open to anything. So go ahead and load it up. What it does is up to you."

The campaign, which was accompanied by the posting of similarly-worded bills in New York City this past weekend, is an obvious response to the latest iPhone update on Thursday. As Apple had warned, the software patch disabled versions of the Apple handset that had been "unlocked" to operate on wireless carries other than AT&T, while adding a couple of new features like the Wi-Fi iTunes Music Store.

In addition, however, the update wreaked havoc on a number unmodified iPhones and those iPhones which had been only modified to run third-party software applications but had otherwise remained locked to the Apple-approved carrier. Users who reached out to Apple for help in reactivating those phones were turned away (video) in the same manner as those users who had unlocked the devices against Apple's stated policy.

The Cupertino-based firm's harsh stance was met with considerable outrage because, unlike unlocking, users who had installed third-party applications simply to increase the usefulness of their pricey handsets -- in addition to those who had done nothing at all -- were suddenly being informed that they had voided their warranty on the handset as a whole and were on their own in attempting to somehow reactivate those phones.

The matter is complicated by a number of factors, primarily what is now being perceived by some as a poor job on Apple's part to convey its stance on third-party applications to iPhone users earlier in the handset's lifecycle. Recent comments from an Apple executive even made it appear as if the company was taking an indifferent stance to the development and installation such third-party apps. Additionally, Apple's public warning seemed only to target unlockers rather than those installing applications.

What's more, third-party iPhone apps and simple point-and-click applications to easily install them had become as commonplace on the Internet in recent weeks as shareware applications. Therefore, some iPhone owners may have used such applications without a full understanding of the consequences.

As a result of these and other gripes with Apple's iPhone policies, users are now banding together in an attempt to drum up support for a class-action lawsuit against the company under three theoretical classes.

The first class would contain iPhone owners who have used third-party software to access the flash storage on an iPhone, without having altered firmware or installed a program on the device. A second would include owners who had installed third-party apps in the past, but who have since restored their phones to factory defaults but are still suffering from hardware problems such as bad touchscreens.

A third and final class would challenge the whole unlocking issues, which is reportedly legal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act but discouraged by Apple, which states on the iPhone's packaging and marketing material that an AT&T contract is required for usage.

Nokia bills posted in New York City and shown in the MacRumors forum.

In the meantime, the whole iPhone mess is garnering national recognition from the the mainstream media and slowly snowballing into a public relations nightmare for Apple. The New York Times recently ran a piece that quotes Apple spokesperson Jennifer Bowcock as saying those iPhone owners who are experiencing problems following the recent iPhone update should "purchase a new iPhone." And overseas, the Guardian syndicated Gizmodo's updated recommendation to its readers, which is "Don't Buy" an iPhone:

"Screw the unlock for a second. Let's talk about the those third-party apps," wrote Brian Lam, an editor at the widely read and Apple "approved" gadget blog. "While my 4GB iPhone is a brick, and the 8GB phone, which I kept on a totally legit AT&T contract, is now stripped down. Programs like the faux-GPS, IM clients, Flickr Upload, and NES emulator -- what did they ever do but make the iPhone far better than the stock original? They made it far more competitive with open-platform superphones like the Nokia N95, to which I will now be switching."

While Apple likely mulls a response, Nokia and other would-be rivals are sure to be having a field day with this one.

Still an excellent article and time will tell if this perceived backlash will cause Apple to blink.

The scariest thing about the update from what I've read is it seems many people with vanilla phones ended up with bricks after the v1.1.1 update and Apple seems to be convicting them of hacking without any kind of proof whatsoever.

Love this. Let's hope that SOMETHING makes Apple open up the iPhone like they should. I will NEVER buy an iPhone until I can run Pocket Quicken & FileMaker Mobile on it, just like I can on my Treo. Apple is shooting itself in the foot if they don't open up the iPhone.

The scariest thing about the update from what I've read is it seems many people with vanilla phones ended up with bricks after the v1.1.1 update and Apple seems to be convicting them of hacking without any kind of proof whatsoever.

I never planned to buy an iPhone. After reading that they denied service to users with bricked phones that didn't install 3rd party apps or unlock their phones I'm all the more glad I steered clear. HTC, Samsung, and Nokia are the brands I shop for and will remain loyal to them.

I have absolutely no problem with Apple making life hard for people who have unlocked their iPhones to run on a non-AT&T network. AT&T has made concessions to Apple to make the iPhone what it is (ie, developing visual voicemail, beefing up the EDGE network, developing the innovative iTunes activation process...not to mention sharing subscriber revenues with Apple) and it's fair that Apple protect AT&T's investment in the iPhone for the 2 or 5 year exclusivity period (whatever it really is). That's honest and fair business.

But I *can't stand* Apple's attempt to discourage third-party development. There are TONS of gaps in the Iphone experience that Apple is being glacially slow in addressing. I have no To Do application for my phone. I can't play games on it. I can't record voice notes. Etc. etc. etc. It's been more than 3 months since the iPhone launched, and all Apple has provided is the WiFi iTunes store, which I personally don't need, and which really serves Apple as much as its customers because it lets Apple sell more music.

There's a saying that goes "Lead, follow or get out of the way." When it comes to app development for the iPhone, Apple is clearly not leading. If it won't lead, then it needs to make room for others...

Perhaps more important is the equally large "class" of potential users who will NEVER buy an iPhone or an iPod touch until Apple opens these devices up and stops playing games with greedy business models.

The best way to wake Apple up is to stop buying into their closed-minded business model and boycott purchasing these devices. Not buy and sue afterward.

I suspect this tempest in a teapot won't do much to dent Apple's sales (for those few who know and care about the issues, I suspect Apple will pick themselves up and get a better message out.)

However, as one who DOES care, I'm glad to have attention placed on 3rd-party app development. I would guess that Apple didn't break those 3rd-party apps intentionally, but rather they broke as a side-effect of other changes. Now, denying warranty service in such a case contradicts Apple's earlier statements, and if that's been happening to some people and not others then Apple needs to clarify things with their service personnel. Denying service on a phone that has been reversed to its factory state, or that has modifications Apple expressed some support for before, makes no sense at all.

Meanwhile, keep the attention on the need for 3rd-party apps! That's something I very much want when I get an iPhone.

Apple can't officially support 3rd-party apps this soon, even if they wanted to. (It's nothing to do with a "closed attitude.") The OS is young and changing and apps are going to break unless Apple refuses to evolve their platform. But some time--maybe in 3 months? 6?--the platform will be stabilized and Apple can start to offer official developer tools. Let's hope they do so.

There's a saying that goes "Lead, follow or get out of the way." When it comes to app development for the iPhone, Apple is clearly not leading. If it won't lead, then it needs to make room for others...

You are so right about this!!!!

If they really want to control them they could always release a SDK to the Dev world but only allow new applications to be added with Itunes. that have been Apple approved. This would also create another way for Apple to make more money and also put more hands in the cookie jar.....

That the iPhone was sold as an AT&T phone was not a surprise to anyone. If you wanted it you had to switch to AT&T. Maybe the people who are pissed at Apple should have read their license. These people are a bunch of whiners. Hacking your phone to get it to work on T-Mobile is prohibited by the terms of the license and your contract. People who hacked their phones have no complaint against Apple when an update bricks their iPhone. Hacking the iPhone breaks the warranty. What happens to the phone after you hack it is your problem not Apple's.

The highest level of idiocy is exhibited by the guy who after unlocking or hacking his iPhone, proceeds to apply an update from Apple, and is pissed when that update removes the hacks or bricks the phone. At the point that you hack your phone, you have no reasonable expectation of support from Apple.

The only people who are going to see any money from these class actions are the lawyers. The settlements, if they ever come, are not going to be worth the wait. This is just a bunch of sheisters looking for a big payoff.

I have absolutely no problem with Apple making life hard for people who have unlocked their iPhones to run on a non-AT&T network. AT&T has made concessions to Apple to make the iPhone what it is (ie, developing visual voicemail, beefing up the EDGE network, developing the innovative iTunes activation process...not to mention sharing subscriber revenues with Apple) and it's fair that Apple protect AT&T's investment in the iPhone for the 2 or 5 year exclusivity period (whatever it really is). That's honest and fair business.

Not really as stated in the article unlocking is legal under Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Apple only offering the iphone through themselves and AT&T is more than enough, as more than 90% of purchasers won't learn how to unlock or install 3rd party apps anyways.

Think of it like game console modding or homebrew or things like that, out of all the consumers out there how many do you honestly think go through all that effort? A very small percentage.

You can take any LG, Nokia, SE, Samsung etc phone and unlock it. It's tough sometimes but it can be done. All those companies signed exclusivity contracts as well. But as always number of people actually doing it are very small.

Apple's stance is wrong because this is happening to people who haven't even modded their phones. They are also wrong because everyone pretty much knows nothing that was recently added to the iphone should brick the phone, it's got to be something extra apple put in just to deal with the unlocking or apps situation, unfortunately for them it's also having adverse effects on people who did nothing wrong. This malicious code is mean spirited and wrong.

And lets face it: Apple knew and wanted people to unlock and mod the iphone from day one, I mean who else on the planet can buy just a phone and "choose your plan and activate on the internet?" It was always painfully obvious that the only reason you can walk in and buy the phone without any kind of contract or plan was to encourage people to crack it. Only flack from AT&T has made Apple do this which is why their public stance on the matter has been so bizarre and varied.

Quote:

Originally Posted by appleinsider vBulletin Message

You have been banned for the following reason:Three personal attacks in one post. Congratulations.Date the ban will be lifted:...

As an iPhone user, I have to say that the iPhone is still the best phone experience out there, bar none.

Third party apps are cool and they'll come again once the hackers stop bitching and start working on getting their apps back on the iPhone.

Hasn't stopped any of my friends from going out and getting more iPhones. This is the only negative thing that has SOME merit, that's why this is making the news lately. Like all things, this will pass.

iPhone doesn't do everything that other phones do but there is no other phone that does everything that iPhone does either. If iPhone doesn't do something you need, don't buy it, or go complain to Nokia that their phone doesn't run iTunes, etc.

I usually stand by Apple on things like this, but they're really going too far lately.

They disabled video output on iPods because it drains the battery. They are moving heaven and earth to stop app development on the iPhone because of virus fears.

Doesn't there come a point where it's MY choice, as the consumer, whether I want to risk my battery life or viruses?

Yes, the iPhone is the best phone out there for what it does, but that doesn't excuse Apple from at least giving developers some kind of SDK, even if it's a completely airtight one and only certain companies can get licensed to use it, or something.

Web 2.0 can't do everything. As someone else said, lead, follow, or get out of the way.

[edit] And people, the "love it or leave it" attitude doesn't help Apple make better products.

They disabled video output on iPods because it drains the battery. They are moving heaven and earth to stop app development on the iPhone because of virus fears.

Both false as far as I can see.

iPods and iPhones all have video output (well, not the Shuffle ) and in fact Apple has changed the video-out system, adding component out for higher quality. They sell video cables made for the new system, and we may expect 3rd-party cables soon too.

And I see no evidence that Apple wants to stop 3rd party apps. I've seen plenty of evidence that they are not going to any effort to make sure those apps survive each update.

I have said over and over again, since 1997, when Jobs came back, that Jobs HATES open devices.

This has been his history. Anything that has been open, has been something that he has shut down, if he could.

does anyone really not realize that he would close the Mac Pro's if he thought he could get away with it?

does anyone here doubt that he would stop all third party development for Apple's computers if he could get away with it?

Why is anyone surprised at the situation here?

He stated that third party apps would likely appear, but only through Apple. He is hostile towards anything else. His statements abut device and network stability, no matter how specious, indicated very strongly to me that he would not be happy about unauthorized development of any kind.

He will also, apparently, not tolerate anything that threatens Apple's revenue stream from his partners.

Do I agree with his stance?

No. I don't. But that is what it is, and we either have to live with it, or not buy those products that restrict the uses we want for them.

I still have hopes that Apple WILL come out with an SDK of some sort by the end of the year, that will meet Job's concepts of free development, and Apple control, but we will have to wait and see about that.

I have absolutely no problem with Apple making life hard for people who have unlocked their iPhones to run on a non-AT&T network. AT&T has made concessions to Apple to make the iPhone what it is (ie, developing visual voicemail, beefing up the EDGE network, developing the innovative iTunes activation process...not to mention sharing subscriber revenues with Apple) and it's fair that Apple protect AT&T's investment in the iPhone for the 2 or 5 year exclusivity period (whatever it really is). That's honest and fair business.

But I *can't stand* Apple's attempt to discourage third-party development. There are TONS of gaps in the Iphone experience that Apple is being glacially slow in addressing. I have no To Do application for my phone. I can't play games on it. I can't record voice notes. Etc. etc. etc. It's been more than 3 months since the iPhone launched, and all Apple has provided is the WiFi iTunes store, which I personally don't need, and which really serves Apple as much as its customers because it lets Apple sell more music.

There's a saying that goes "Lead, follow or get out of the way." When it comes to app development for the iPhone, Apple is clearly not leading. If it won't lead, then it needs to make room for others...

I completely agree with all of what you said.

Though, I think that Apple perhaps has been playing it too safe and worrying about third party apps causing problems and ruining their vision of the perfect launch and momentum drive to the holiday season. That is the problem with playing not to lose, you always lose. Never understood the prevent defense.

Am not bothered either way. But this has got to be rich, open ffrom Nokia and all the other phone manufacturers. How many of us have bought phones for the spec's to find the same phones butchered by the ISP's with thier own version of firmware. Then having to wait months being pushed back and forth between phone manufacturer and ISP all disowning. At least the iPhone will do 98% of what it says it will.

Personally I think a SDK will be announced and or a available at the release of Leopard. The iPhone will eventually have to become open to applications. Steve has no option on this one.

I also think that will be when the next update is released it will add things like Task lists, etc. I have a funny feeling there is going to be a significant change to iCal and Apple didn't want to waste resources on old applications for the iPhone because they will be changing in a few months with the new OS release. I think they did it the smart way and did the absolute minimum they had to do to get them in the hands of the consumers. Do you really think things like task lists, cut and paste, etc. mean a whole lot to the first round of buyers? Obviously no because to date Apple has sold a ton of iPhones.

Further this would be a great way to force people in to upgrading to Leopard with the company line of "You won't have the new iCal with tasks on your iPhone unless you have the new iCal on your home machine."

I would be cool with that just give me the task manager please!

--Dave

Just say no to MacMall. They don't honor their promotions and won't respond to customer inquiries. There are better retailers out there.

"The Cupertino-based firm's harsh stance was met with considerable outrage..."

The childish rantings of a few underemployed hackers constitute "....considerable outrage"?

Maybe you should read the latest channel checks from Deutsche Bank, Piper Jaffary, etc., which confirm the iPhone is flying out the door. These buyers care not one whit for Apple's garage days which these hackers seem to rue so much. A broader market-based perspective might lead you to moderate your language and present the case more fairly. AAPL is a $150bn market cap retail business which gave up catering to fringe elements years ago. Thank goodness.

I am delighted with Apple's stance, and happy to trade the latest unproved hacks for a solid, virus-free user experience. Today's all time high AAPL price suggests you just don't get it.

"The Cupertino-based firm's harsh stance was met with considerable outrage..."

The childish rantings of a few underemployed hackers constitute "....considerable outrage"?

Maybe you should read the latest channel checks from Deutsche Bank, Piper Jaffary, etc., which confirm the iPhone is flying out the door. These buyers care not one whit for Apple's garage days which these hackers seem to rue so much. A broader market-based perspective might lead you to moderate your language and present the case more fairly. AAPL is a $150bn market cap retail business which gave up catering to fringe elements years ago. Thank goodness.

I am delighted with Apple's stance, and happy to trade the latest unproved hacks for a solid, virus-free user experience. Today's all time high AAPL price suggests you just don't get it.

Exactly.

If Apple were to allow 3rd party apps when the target is moving so rapidly at the moment, the hue and cry wouldn't be "Apple is a closed system!" it would be "Apple can't write OS's!", and that would call into question their ability as a provider. I can imagine all the phone crashes that Apple would get the blame for if it were 'open' at this time. As it is, I've only had one crash in the time I've had my system, and that was immediately after the last update.

*Attention Nintendo:* Brian Lam, an editor at the widely read and Apple "approved" gadget blog, has openly admitted to using a NES emulator - while whining that it's not fair Apple won't let him violate usage contracts and copyright laws. Send your lawyers in for the kill.

you can catch him via the GPS on his new N95... unless the battery is dead because it's been more than 3 1/2 house since he's charged it.

Nokia: "unlocking" cutting edge technology for the United States 12 months after the rest of the world has it.

Apple should fight back. Voiding a warranty is voiding a warranty. Imagine if other companies allowed service on voided software or hardware warranties. Who would take void warranty warnings seriously?

I doubt very much Nokia's gonna gain from this publicity stunt. In fact, even the hackers know better than to buy a 2nd rate phone.

Give me a friggen break. I think there should be a class action lawsuit against the parents for passing on the DNA to the mass of babies I hear crying "my iPhone is broken... because I broke it..... waaa I'm suing"!

That's more infuriating that not being able to load Apps or use another carrier for the thing!!

THE BIG DOWNSIDE OF THE IPHONE IS THAT IT DOES NOT SUPPORT OTHER APPS OR CARRIERS! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT, EVERYONE TALKS AND TALKS AND TALKS ABOUT THAT.

If your savvy enough to be aware of the third party apps, sync up your iphone and go through the install steps then you are well aware of the above statement.

In this day and age every friggen device, every consumer product warranty is void if you mess with it... In this case Apple has said repeatedly, on many occasions, in every reporters interview in probably every review.... THAT YOU CANT" LOAD APPS.

All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. Now I see that I should have been more specific.- Lily Tomlin

This ad campaign will have some influence on the few that do install programs on their cellphones, but for the vast majority of cellphone buyers this has no meaning whatsoever.

It is like the ad campaigns for MP3 players with more features than the iPod...

Tech forums/Blogs/magazines might be full of 3rd party, cracking and what ever info, but they only preach to the selected few.

Tech blog/Forum writers and readers don't seem to realise that they represent only a small, say maybe 2%, of the consumers. The vast majority have no interest in this kind of technical talk, or have no time, or have other, probably more important, things to do.

I've seen higher quality versions of those billboard adverts and to me they look extremely fake. I work in graphic design and it is extremely odd to have perfect text floating on top a crumpled paper. It looks like a poor mockup but saying that it was a good idea for an advert and nice concept.

Unsure why nokia would use it as a campaign as I have a nokia phone which is locked into my service provider. Just like Apple, you void your warranty with any modifications to the phone such as unlocking. So what's the difference?

What this tells me is that a giant phone company like Nokia is scared to death of the iPhone.

I wonder: If openness has been so ingrained in Nokia's philosophy, why don't their products' ease of use and our ease of accessing their full functionality come anywhere close to that of Apple's? Is it that: (a) It is a bogus claim; or (b) That, for all their efforts, 3rd party developers haven't really helped Nokia produce a better interface? If (a), why doesn't the press report that? If (b), why should Apple waste its time with 3rd party apps?

The fact that everyone is taking these desperate potshots at Apple tells me that, for all the nay-saying and (increasingly fashionable) badmouthing, the iPhone is truly a revolutionary product that is shaking the foundations of both the manufacturers and developers in its industry.

Tim Cook is gay, believes in climate change, and cares deeply about racial equality. Deal with it (and please spare us if you can't).